Checkpoint Reached!
by Arebus
Summary: The more things change, the more they stay the same. Humans do as they always have and always will; Lie, Steal, Cheat, and Survive. But there's one other thing Humans seem to love doing, and that's doing something stupid. No one's ever accused Humanity as being the "sanest" species ever. As for me? Well, I guess you could say I'm a special kind of crazy...
1. Checkpoint 1

**Hey y'all! I know it's been forever, but college has taken a little getting used to. So, anyway, onto this thing. This is the pilot chapter for a new story I was thinking about, called "Checkpoint Reached!" Now, I'm sure most of you can guess what it'll be about off of the title, but hopefully this will give you a feel for how the story will go. Please, let me know what y'all think.**

 _A Peculiar Beginning_

Honestly, the day started just about the same as every other day.

I woke up, my roommate was still passed out in his bunk, and I barely had enough time to make it to class. So, I went about my daily routine of scrambling to get dressed, skipping breakfast, and snagging a RedBull from the fridge on my way out.

Another eight hours or so and classes were done for the day. For once, I actually had something to do, other than more homework. My biology partner, Erica, needed a ride to the mall.

"Hey, ready to go?" Erica's voice was always a welcome sound at my college. One of the few friends I made early on, she always seemed to be perpetually happy.

"Sure am. Hopefully the storm will wait till we're back. I hate going on I-4 when it rains." I smiled despite my harsh voice. Erica had learned pretty quick that I just seemed like an angry guy, but for the most part I was laidback. Either way, I-4 does suck during a storm.

Moving on, the drive there wasn't bad, and Erica managed to get her shopping done pretty quick. Naturally, we decided that stopping to grab a bite to eat wouldn't hurt.

Boy, were we wrong. Or, at least I was.

All was well, we had good food, and there was an amicable atmosphere between us. The only thing was a guy sitting in a corner booth that I couldn't stop looking at.

Something was off. Couldn't say what, but the dude was shifty. Glancing around the café, checking his watch, and he always had a hand on his backpack.

I couldn't help it. I'm a paranoid and pessimistic guy by nature, and this guy was tripping too many flags. I tried to motion for Erica to start leaving as subtly as I could, but I was too slow.

"Everyone down! Everyone put your hands behind your heads and get on the ground!" The questionable figure was no longer very 'questionable' with an assault weapon in his hands. Now, he was lethal.

Now, before I continue the tale, let me bring a few things to your mind. Firstly, most people would tell you to stay calm and not provoke the attacker. That would work if you weren't human. The man was threatening my life and the life of someone I cared about. Sitting idly by wasn't an option.

Secondly, this wasn't the type of guy you reasoned with. He wasn't here to intimidate. He wasn't here for money. He was here to make a point. Our corpses would've made a compelling argument.

I, however, took offense at this notion.

As he turned to secure the patrons behind him, I went for it. I'm not a big guy, per se, but cross country and sparring with my roommates meant I packed a punch. I launched a fist across his jaw, the man's rifle flying away from him. Unfortunately for me, I neglected to look for other weapons.

Being shot is an interesting feeling. The first thing your brain does is shut off any response it might have, so you just kinda stand there. Then it hurts.

A lot.

But it's what happened next that I've never quite understood. Through the pain, there was only one thought that survived. One thought that kept me going, just long enough. And no, it wasn't " _Do it for her_ " or anything like that.

 _End him._

So, I did. I rushed forward, grabbing the small pistol he had just shot me with and forced it under his chin. No cliché tag lines on this one kiddos, I just kept pulling the trigger till I heard a click.

So, there you go, bad guy down and I'm a hero! A dead one, but hey, who am I to complain.

Now, it might sound like I'm being glib, but I'm actually completely serious. The man had shot me just below my solar plexus, tearing through the largest vein in the human body. I was dead in less than a minute. You might think that this is the end to a rather depressing, boring, and kind of confusing story.

Nope. That'd be too easy.

 **You Died!**

 **Would You Like to Try Again?**

 **Yes.**

 **No.**

So, I did what I think everyone would have. I smashed the Yes button as hard as I could. Well, I would've. To be honest, it just kinda glowed when I looked at it and I took that as confirmation.

Small problem: I didn't look at the fine print, not that there was any.

"Congratulations! It's a boy!"

So, yeah… That's how that happened.

 **Just to clarify, I'm still working on Lux Noctis. This is to replace What Remains, seeing as how no one really seems to care much about that one. A New Beginning still has the same rules as before, Lux Noctis will be updated whenever I get around to it, and this'll hopefully be updated every other week. Let me know what y'all think about the new perspective, the writing style, and the story over all. I promise chapters will be much longer than a few hundred words, this was just to get the concept out.**

 **My utmost thanks to all of you who didn't give up on me,**

 **Arebus.**


	2. Checkpoint 2

**I was gonna wait a little, but I got impatient. I appreciate the comments from Ginger Sheikah and YearsLate.**

 _Learning the Ropes_

I couldn't believe what I was looking at.

I mean, logically I understood, but still. Last time I checked I was around twenty years old, already into my third year of college, with a pretty decent physique.

 **Class:**?

 **Level:** 1

 **HP:** 10/10

 **Stats:**

 **STR-** 0

 **VIT-** 1

 **DEX-** 3

 **INT-** 10

 **WIS-** 10

 **CHA-** 14

 **LUK-** (-)5

 **Skills:**

 **Body of Code (** Passive **)-** Due to unique events, your body doesn't process physical information in a standard way. Pain, Hunger, Heat, etc. will all be nullified into status effects. Can be manually disabled.

 **Mind of Frost (** Activated **)-** The Game passively negates all mental effects, unless self-induced. When activated, no mental effect can be attributed to caster. All emotional response is negated, allowing the Gamer to focus solely on the task at hand.

So, pretty confusing, right? Yeah, here's the fun part.

 **Name:** Jaune Arc.

Pretty sure that isn't my name. Least, it isn't the one I died with.

"Aw, honey! Look at how his little nose is scrunching up!" That would be… Wow, guess she's my Mother. That's not gonna be weird or anything.

Juniper Arc. Mother of four children, as of last night. But her stats… now those were intriguing.

 **Name:** Juniper Annaliese Arc

 **Class:** Support

 **Titles:** Tactical Healer, Den Mother, Blade of Light.

 **Level:** ?

 **Stats:** ?

 **Bio:** A veteran Huntress, all her foes learned to fear her blade. While primarily functioning as a healer for her fireteam, Juniper is more than skilled enough to take on the Grimm. As of six years ago, Juniper retired to raise her firstborn daughter, Azure. She's also your new Mom, so give her a smile!

While a little weird that the game was being that direct, it wasn't wrong. I'd been so caught up in my HUD, I hadn't shown any outward reaction aside from furrowing my brow in confusion. Hate to scare my new family in less than a week of being born.

So, I did what all babies do when they're newborn. I wiggled whatever muscle mass I had and made a noise with my newly made vocal cords. Surprisingly enough, I actually did manage to smile.

Unfortunately, that caused my Mother to burst into tears, which subsequently summoned my new Father.

 **Name:** Ignatius Titus Arc

 **Class:** Titan

 **Title:** Bastion of the West, Flame Wielder, ?

 **Level:** ?

 **Stats:** ?

 **Bio:** The Bastion of the West, Ignatius Arc is known for his ferocity in battle. Embodying the phrase, "A paragon of Virtue," Ignatius is one of very few Titan Class Hunters in Remnant, having proved himself in the siege of Tandem Stabit, defeating one horde alone before continuing to fight after reinforcements had arrived. Also renowned as the most uncoordinated student Beacon Academy has ever seen, outside of battle. He's your new old man, so get ready for an interesting childhood!

"What's wrong? Is Jaune okay?" 'Dad' was a big guy, with an even bigger heart from what I had learned. He was also completely inept at anything outside of combat. Dude had already managed to break half the instruments in the room, give himself a concussion, and almost drop me.

And I hadn't been alive for more than a day yet.

So, needless to say I was a little worried when he darted over. Apparently, the concern he held negated the afore mentioned clumsiness, as I saw his worried face looking down at me in no time.

Seeing no real other option, I smiled at him too. Wasn't really expecting him to cry too.

 _Well, this is going to be a fun few years of doing literally nothing._

* * *

I'll admit, it took me some time to realize what was wrong, about ten years. But when I did, oh boy, when I did it hit me like a freight train.

 _Jaune Arc_ , I thought to myself, _I know I've heard that before._

 _RWBY! That's right, Jaune's probably my favorite character, aside from Ozpin. Wait…._

That's when that little ol' penny dropped.

I was in RWBY. I was born to the Arc family, on the continent of Sanus, in the world of Remnant.

Which meant I knew what was coming, unless I was mistaken. I freaked out a little when I realized the amount of time I had wasted. I was already ten years old when I realized that I would have to live Jaune's life, including the wars and surviving Beacon.

 **Name:** Jaune Arc

 **Class:** Child

 **Title:** Heir Apparent, Little Light, Big Brother.

 **Level:** 9

 **HP: 600/600**

 **Stats:**

 **STR-** 10

 **VIT** \- 10

 **DEX-** 12

 **INT-** 14

 **WIS-** 15

 **CHA-** 15

 **LUK-** (-)8

 **Skills:**

 **Body of Code (** Passive **)**

 **Mind of Frost (** Activated **)**

 **Rallying Speech (** Level 1 **)** \- A righteous fury fills your soul, granting your speech the words and aura to rally even the most cowardly of allies.

Fun as it might have been to be able to convince my sisters of almost anything, it wasn't something that'd help me survive.

Or complete my new objective. It was time for some good old-fashioned grinding.

* * *

Another eight years, and I'd made good progress. I'd figured out a lot of the system commands, gotten used to my inventory, gotten accepted to Signal Academy where I intentionally avoided a certain blonde and her sister, graduating with honors (but not enough to be noticed).

Most importantly, with the help of my gamer body, I'd ground out levels like crazy.

 **Name:** Jaune Arc.

 **Class:** Rogue Knight

 **Title:** Heir Apparent, Little Light, Brother, Fount of Courage.

 **Level:** 28

 **HP:** 1000/1000

 **AP:** 2000/2000

 **Stats:**

 **STR-** 25

 **VIT-** 30

 **DEX-** 30

 **INT-** 20

 **WIS-** 25

 **CHA-** 30

 **LUK-** **X**

 **New Skills:**

 **Will of Shadows-** You may serve the light, but the shadows welcome you as their old friend. Conceal caster for up to sixty seconds or until concentration is broken via attack.

 **Sunder Bonds-** Through tenacity, rage, and an unfortunate event, your aura was unlocked and given a unique ability outside of your semblance. Caster can remove all biological inhibitors, allowing for an increase to STR, VIT, and DEX at the cost of HP. Aura cannot be substituted. Caster will lose control over emotional output, the last designated target becoming their sole reason to live. Mind of Frost cannot negate this effect.

That last skill scared me a little. I had unlocked my aura when a stray Beowolf had wandered over to where my youngest sister, Aurelia, was playing. Don't remember much of what happened, but when I came to the Beowolf was in shreds, Aurelia was fine, and I was bleeding out.

Again.

Regardless, it was time that I finished off my "Signal Academy Arc" and moved on to the part that I was really worried about.

Beacon.

The shining Light of Vale. Home to the emerald wizard, Ozpin, and his witch, Glynda. Along with a trove of other, dangerous treasures.

It had occurred to me that I never actually found out when Amber was attacked, only that it was before RWBY and JNPR's initiation.

Four months…

Surely someone with previous knowledge, what basically boiled down to a cheat code for life, and a calm mind could find one Maiden in Sanus.

Right?

 **Hopefully this was up to par for what you guys wanted! Let me know how it went!**


	3. Checkpoint 3

**I'm really kinda trying to bang these out before I lose my train of thought. Let me know what you think!**

 _If I Could Save Time in A Bottle…_

No.

No, you cannot find one particular Maiden who is intentionally hiding from powers far stronger than yourself, in a continent you are completely unfamiliar with, in a world that still doesn't quite make sense, with nothing more than a holographic screen that reminds you that you still (apparently) have less than no luck.

So, instead, I wandered just about everywhere on this stupid continent in the months leading up to Beacon. It was the second month, halfway through my allotted time, and all I'd managed to do was level up.

That might sound like I'm complaining, and that's because I am. Hooray, I was now a level 35, had a few more skills, and generically knew how to beat most Grimm.

Few problems with that ladies and gents-

Dollars to Donuts Salem is so ridiculously far above level 35 she could probably _think_ me to death; I still hadn't found Amber, Cinder, Mercury, or Emerald who, if we're being honest, kinda started all of this, which meant my plan to preemptively stop them wasn't going well. Now, here's the real kicker y'all…

"I AM SO FREAKIN LOST!"

Yeah, in case you didn't know, literally everything on Sanus looks the same, 'least during these months. Green to the North, green to the South, green to the West, and you guessed it! Green to the East as well.

So, now I was not only failing my objective to find and save the fall Maiden, I was also so far away from Beacon that I might not even make it there in time.

Joy.

 **Quest Acquired!**

 _ **Lamentations**_

 **Earn favor with the Broken Guard and help guide him back to his path. Perhaps he will come to your side in a time of need…**

 **Quest Rewards-**

 **800,000 EXP**

 **Special Item**

 **Increased relation with (?)**

 **Increased relation with (?)**

 **Increased relation with (?)**

 _ **Time Ravager**_ **path unlocked**

 **Failure: Death.**

 **Denial:**

 **Loss of the Fall Maiden (permanent)**

 **Decreased relation with (?)**

 **Decreased relation with (?)**

 **Decreased relation with (?)**

 _ **Time Ravager**_ **path permanently locked.**

 **Accept?**

 **Yes**

 **No**

Near as I figured, it was either **Yes** or wander the woods till I died. So, I picked **Yes**.

 **Warning! New timeline acquired: Find the Maiden and guide the Broken Guard to her in the next hour, or risk failure.**

Well, guess I've got a timeline.

"Broken Guard… Not sure who that one is."

"Hey, kid. Talkin' to yourself isn't exactly considered healthy nowadays."

 _Well, that makes more sense now._

I turned to see Qrow Branwen, evidently the 'Broken Guard' I was told to find.

 _So, I need to find the Maiden, with Qrow, in a certain amount of time… Oh! This must be when Cinder attacks Amber. Don't know if I'm up to fighting an Assassin, a Thief, and whatever Cinder is._

 **For assessing the situation and planning accordingly +1 WIS.**

 _Oh, shut up._

I turned back to Qrow, the spat with my semblance all happening in the blink of an eye. _Now, how to bullcrap my way through this…_

"Sorry, just got a little lost. You look like a Huntsman, am I right?" I refrained from offering my hand, instead keeping my posture relaxed but ready. Old Hats like Qrow always appreciate people who can recognize a threat, and Qrow is one of the biggest on Remnant.

"Huh. Not many people peg me so quick. Most just assume I'm some old boozehound."

"Who said Huntsman can't be both?"

"Heh, I like you kid. What's your name?"

This time I did reach my hand forward, giving just enough squeeze for him to know that I did have _some_ power behind me.

"Jaune Arc. Good to meet you."

"Qrow. Likewise."

* * *

Took me a few minutes, but I finally got Qrow to walk with me, mostly by faking being lost. Well, I guess technically that wasn't a lie. I was lost, but now I had a very strong urge to walk on south-easterly route.

Unfortunately, we burned almost the entire time limit just walking. When we had finally reached our destination, I had just five minutes to… do something.

Thankfully, a certain assassin took care of my next step for me.

"Qrow, gunfire just ahead." I drew Crocea Mors, the ancestral blade being yet another anomaly in this new life of mine. But, that's for another time.

"Yeah. Stay here Kid, I'll take care of this." Qrow neglected to wait for an answer, running to close the distance.

Since I already knew I was planning on disobeying him, I took a second to take stock of the situation.

Emerald and Mercury were already attacking Amber, but Cinder had yet to show herself. I had made good time, though I figured that the time limit was counting down to Cinder's arrival to the battle since that would pretty much guarantee Amber's death.

A thief with goofy looking revolvers and sickles attached to said revolvers, an Assassin with shotgun boots because why not, and Cinder's dust ridiculousness.

I had upgraded Jaune's -er, _my_ armor from the few pieces of platemail I originally started with. I had taken most of the inspiration from the newer series, omitting the bronze inlays. The only things I added for my own sake were a Helmet and a Rifle. Gotta love inventory systems, right? Unfortunately, given my current stats and my current gear, I still couldn't even _see_ Qrow's level, much less Amber or Cinder's. I could see Mercury and Emerald as both were level 50.

Which meant I had one Ace up my sleeve. Crocea Mors.

 **Crocea Mors:**

 **Item Class-** Hand and a half sword.

 **Bio-** Forged in a war long forgotten and passed through the generations of the Arc family, this weapon is mostly thought of as a relic. But it is far more. It cannot dull, it cannot break, and any Arc can tell there's more to it than meets the eye.

 **Weapon Abilities:**

 **Steal Forged-** Focused on your opponent, you gain insight into their very soul. Match them step for step, swing for swing. Allows user to mimic targets style and skill for up to two minutes.

 **Rage of War-** This blade was forged in a time where the light was lost. It was instrumental in recovering the light and bringing it back to man, but it is not of the light. It is of blood, pain, and gnashing of teeth. The user may allow the past wielders to guide the blade.

 **?** \- You're not ready to know of this skill.

Yet again, my own skills were a little frightening, but I'd take the advantage. Now, as good as the blade was, it wasn't foolproof. I still had to be able to wield it. Thankfully, I had a skill to help with that.

 **Rogue-** Who ever said fighting was fair? User disregards traditional fighting styles, instead appropriating whatever resources are nearby and using them to their fullest. +10 to INT +10 to WIS +15 to DEX.

Insane boosts, I know, but it wasn't an easy skill to pick up. Either way, it meant I had a chance at supporting Qrow without resorting to my… darker abilities.

 _Well, ain't like I'm gonna be able to shoot when they jump like that, so might as well get in there._

I equipped my helmet, drew Crocea, expanded my shield, and prayed.

First one to notice me was Mercury. Brief look of confusion aside, Mercury played the obedient little tool and took me head on.

 _Good, always did think you were a prick._

Some fancy footwork, a shotgun blast, and suddenly my shield arm wasn't feeling too hot.

 _Alright, note to self, don't take shotgun shells at close range. Shield or no those things hurt. Time for a little_ _ **Rogue.**_

It's weird to describe what these skills feel like. With **Rogue** , everything seemed a little sharper, a little more… vicious. All of a sudden, I had a strategy, my previous knowledge telling me Mercury's weak points, and my skill telling me every cheap shot I could take.

So, I took'em.

Merc ran up with a flying kick that connected with the upper part of my shield. I let go right as the shell detonated, my shield flipping over my head. I countered with a quick slash to the guy's right knee, right where his prosthetic attached to his flesh. Right where it'd still hurt.

I didn't let up when Mercury recoiled. I dashed forward, switching up blade styles, throwing in punches, kicks, headbutts, whatever I had. By the time my combo had ended, Mercury was looking a little worse for wear. His aura was already healing his broken nose, but I had drained him, and aura can't heal a damaged servo.

 _Target, neutralized._

Now I just had the Thief and her Mistress to deal with. Miss 'Fall' didn't seem too happy with my arrival, but Qrow had her locked down. Without Amber's power and without any potential crossfire, Qrow was wreaking havoc with his semblance. Cinder, Miss Composed herself, had tripped no less than three times. Which meant Emerald was mine.

 **Alert! Quest Line** _ **Lamentations**_ **is about to expire! User has two minutes remaining!**

 _Guess there's no partial credit with this game._

I had to win. Actually win. I would have loved to kill all three of them and spare everyone the headache, but I just didn't have the time or skill. Needed to get them to retreat, and that meant pulling out all the stops.

"Qrow, get the girl! I've got something to buy you time, but I need you to get clear!" I had equipped my helmet before Mercury closed the distance, the mirrored steel and my blue eyes the only thing my enemies could see as I squared off to them.

Qrow didn't seem too keen on the idea, but I knew he would go for it. After all, it was either some kid he just met or the Fall Maiden. Even I can do that math. He shouted something that sounded like good luck as he took off, Amber cradled in his arms.

Normally, a skill activated the second I focus on it. Not **Rage of War**. It was slow at first, whispers at the edge of my mind. Then they grew, clawing their way into my thoughts, the fury of every Arc that had held this blade. I wouldn't learn this till later on, but both my aura and my 'ancestors' aura flooded my eyes, which gave my helmet the appearance of glowing eyes.

"Leave now. You no longer stand against a Huntsman, nor do you stand against a child. You raise your blades against an army, those who fought before dust, those who fought the beastmen, and those who remember your master." It was convenient that I had dumped several points into my deception skill and my acting skill. I thought it sounded good.

Emerald didn't.

Curiously (to anyone who wasn't me), it was Cinder that stayed Emerald's hand. The dust user stared me down, clearly intrigued by my calling out of her master, but she didn't seem to appreciate the situation she was in.

A Maiden that was (probably) back to full strength, A Huntsman that is renowned throughout Remnant, and an unknown combatant that had just decked her Assassin and had knowledge he shouldn't. Being the wise leader she was, Cinder decided retreat was the best course of action.

I held my position, not even letting my body twitch until they were clearly gone. I let **Rage of War** go, a cool down timer appearing in my HUD. I forged my way to the waypoint pulsating in my vision, finally finding Qrow standing there, clearly having waited for me.

I'm sure he was going to say something sharp-witted and charming, but I didn't hear it as my armored form slammed into the ground.

 **Alrighty, let me know what y'all think!**

 **Cheers,**

 **Arebus.**


	4. Checkpoint 4

**If it ain't too much hassle, I'd recommend reading the AN down below.**

 _We're Off To See The Wizard…_

Yeah, so, if y'all ever actually have this happen to you, here are rules one and two:

1\. Never, ever let your HP get under a quarter of your Maximum. Basic gaming tactics.

2\. Don't let your AP drop either. Because you pass out.

I'm guessing it's probably based on your Max and your Passive Regen, which is why I took almost forty-eight hours to wake back up. By that point, Qrow and Amber had dragged me all the way to a village just outside of Vale's borders.

I woke up to the interesting experience of Qrow tending to my wounds. Well, he would have been, if I actually had any. As it was, he seemed to be trying to figure out how I walked away without a scratch.

"Hey, you're awake kid. How do you feel?"

"Fine, just a little groggy. Where are we?"

Qrow ignored my question, instead nodding his head and moving to close the door.

"Kid, you know we're gonna need to talk about what happened, right?"

I nodded. It made sense. Some random kid comes out of nowhere, manages to beat some serious muscle without a scratch, then passes out for no reason? Yeah, not the easiest thing to explain.

"First things first, what do you remember about the fight?" Qrow was sitting backwards on a little chair, for all intents and purposes looking like a crow perched on a branch.

"You and I were walking through the forests when we heard weapon fire. We ran towards the sound, you told me to stay out of it, and I didn't do that." I sat up on the bed, my left arm feeling a little numb, but otherwise fine.

 **Status Effect: Stage Two Muscle Fatigue-** Reduced flexibility and strength from this appendage. (Time- 00:10)

Interesting anecdote, but I was more concerned with the look Qrow was giving me. If the show and my current world were similar, then Qrow was not someone I wanted to become a problem for. He may be on the right side, and definitely saner than his sister, but the old rogue had made tougher decisions than offing some upstart like me.

"Kid- Jaune. No games on this, I'm being serious. The people you fought, the woman we saved… What do you know about them?"

Qrow's scarlet eyes were boring into me. There was no chance for bluffing on this one, I'd just have to tell him the truth and hope for the best.

Well, I would, if I didn't have a skill specifically to help me lie and another to prevent me from cracking.

"Just that I saw three people ganging up on some poor traveler and that I was close enough to help. Though I didn't expect how well-trained they were. And given the power they were packing, I'm willing to bet that woman is a bit more important than you're letting on, isn't she?"

I stood up and closed the distance between me and Qrow. We stood eye to eye (thankfully the same as my original height), but Qrow had something else to him that let him win the standoff. People like the Branwen's have a certain quality about them. Some might call it Aloofness, or Detached, or just Weird.

I'd call it Lethality.

Something about them just made it very clear. 'This man can kill you with less effort than it takes for him to get dressed in the morning.' That kinda thing.

So naturally, I backed off. Thankfully it seemed like I had at least (somewhat) endeared myself to Qrow. The old man sighed and sipped at his flask, motioning for me to follow him as he left the room.

"Look, there's a lot going on. More than you need to know, and more than you should ever know. But you helped a lot more than you thank, and that earns you at least a little something in my book. That girl? Her name is Amber. She's barely any older than you, but she got a pretty bad shake at life. Suffice it to say she's important, and you saved her."

We walked into a small living room, Amber gently resting on the couch. I guess one of the villagers lent us a guest cabin of some kind.

"Kid. You've got something. I don't know what you'd call it, but you've got it. The same thing everyone looks for when they start out, and a lot of'em don't end up ever finding it." Qrow's voice seemed to have aged a couple decades since we started talking. It hit me that I never saw these parts in the show. It was just something fun to mess around with, and sure there were sad parts, but nothing quite like this.

A man just being broken.

"It ain't courage, it ain't hope, compassion, or any of those others. It's resilience. Being hit by things left and right, but keeping your head down and just moving on. I can see it Kid, right in your aura."

He stood again, walking over to the window and watching the small village go about their day.

"You said you were gonna be a huntsman, right?"

I turned to face him, still trying to understand what he was getting at.

"Yeah, I've already applied to Beacon."

"Congrats, you've just been accepted."

* * *

Didn't take us very long to make it to Vale. We were moving quietly, all of us staying in the shadows. By the time we had made it to our safehouse, I finally had a chance to look over the results of my fight with Cinder.

 **Name:** Jaune Arc.

 **Class:** Rogue Knight, Specter (Active)

 **Title:** Heir Apparent, Little Light, Brother, Fount of Courage

 **Level:** 40

 **HP:** 8000/8000

 **AP:** 16000/16000

 **Stats:**

 **STR-** 35

 **VIT-** 45

 **DEX-** 45

 **INT-** 35

 **WIS-** 35

 **CHA-** 45

 **LUK-** **X**

 **Skills:**

 **Body of Code** (Passive)- Due to unique events, your body doesn't process physical information in a standard way. Pain, Hunger, Heat, etc. will all be nullified into status effects. Can be manually disabled.

 **Mind of Frost (** Activated **)-** The Game passively negates all mental effects, unless self-induced. When activated, no mental effect can be attributed to caster. All emotional response is negated, allowing the Gamer to focus solely on the task at hand.

 **Rallying Speech (** Level 1 **)** \- A righteous fury fills your soul, granting your speech the words and aura to rally even the most cowardly of allies.

 **Will of Shadows-** You may serve the light, but the shadows welcome you as their old friend. Conceal caster for up to sixty seconds or until concentration is broken via attack.

 **Sunder Bonds-** Through tenacity, rage, and an unfortunate event, your aura was unlocked and given a unique ability outside of your semblance. Caster can remove all biological inhibitors, allowing for an increase to STR, VIT, and DEX at the cost of HP. Aura cannot be substituted. Caster will lose control over emotional output, the last designated target becoming their sole reason to live. Mind of Frost cannot negate this effect.

 **Rogue-** Who ever said fighting was fair? User disregards traditional fighting styles, instead appropriating whatever resources are nearby and using them to their fullest. +10 to INT +10 to WIS +15 to DEX.

 **Specter-** A thief in the night has nothing on me… User fades from surroundings, unable to be passively detected unless they reveal themselves. +20 to DEX +15 CHA

 **Items:**

 **Crocea Mors:**

 **Item Class-** Hand and a half sword.

 **Bio-** Forged in a war long forgotten and passed through the generations of the Arc family, this weapon is mostly thought of as a relic. But it is far more. It cannot dull, it cannot break, and any Arc can tell there's more to it than meets the eye.

 **Weapon Abilities:**

 **Steal Forged-** Focused on your opponent, you gain insight into their very soul. Match them step for step, swing for swing. Allows user to mimic targets style and skill for up to two minutes.

 **Rage of War-** This blade was forged in a time where the light was lost. It was instrumental in recovering the light and bringing it back to man, but it is not of the light. It is of blood, pain, and gnashing of teeth. The user may allow the past wielders to guide the blade.

 **?** \- You're not ready to know of this skill.

 **Hunting Rifle:**

 **Item Class-** Bolt Action Rifle (.30-60)

 **Bio-** Classic rifle. No fancy parts, just a reliable partner.

 **Weapon Abilities:**

 **Oiled Receiver-** Years of good maintenance has left this weapon in pristine condition. Weapon is immune to jamming, ejection failure, or any mechanical failure.

 **Gunslinger's Knife:**

 **Item Class-** Secondary weapon

 **Bio-** A weapon from another world, a relic from another life. The edge is sharper than any normal blade, it's perfectly balanced, and the hilt feels like shakin' hands with an old friend.

 **Weapon Abilities:**

 **Incendiary Blade-** Coated with an unknown substance, if this blade is thrown and hits its target, target will combust. +5 flame damage.

 **Knife Juggler-** No tricks up these sleeves. If target is downed with a headshot from the throwing knife, knife is instantly replaced to sheathe.

All in all, it was a pretty good haul for something that wasn't supposed to happen. The throwing knife from Destiny threw me for a loop, but it was the last one that really got me.

 **M6- Carnifex:**

 **Item Class-** Sidearm

 **Bio-** Developed by a scientist during a manufactured plague, this weapon proved more effective than any scalpel. Though, there is weight to it that is unexpected. One that pulls on the soul…

 **Weapon Abilities:**

 **Switch Up-** User can switch between ammo types on the fly. Allows for AP, Incendiary, and Cryo rounds.

 **Mordin's Promise-** The bonds forged in war are not easily broken. Weapon is immune to fatigue, damage, and status effects.

So apparently, it isn't just RWBY that I've stumbled into. It's a whole new universe.

Things just got a lot harder.

"Hey, Jaune. Qrow said it's time to move."

I looked up to see Amber offering me a hand. Despite essentially living with her for a week or so, we really hadn't interacted that much. Even still, I found myself appreciating her calmer quietness. Qrow's silence was too… heavy. My own was too contemplative.

"Right. Thanks, let's get moving."

She put a hand on my arm, staring me down. I could see the storm in her eye, that seemingly eldritch power pooling inside her.

"When we get to Beacon, I don't know what'll happen. But in case I don't get to see you again, I wanted to thank you. Again."

I smiled as best I could, my mind still trying to grasp my newfound knowledge, and grabbed the Maiden in a side-hug.

"It may not be easy to get word to me, but you can always call on me for help Amber."

I didn't quite manage to miss the soft "If only" as I walked away.

* * *

You ever get the feeling when you play a game or watch a show, where it's like, "Yeah, that place is pretty cool. Wonder what it'd be like to go there?" Well, I can tell you what it's like for Beacon.

Really, really, REALLY imposing.

I mean, seriously. The thing is a freakin' fortress with a giant emerald watch tower. And I actually know what sits at the top, and it ain't some coffee drinking old man. At least, not _just_ that.

"Alright Kid, time for you to meet the Wizard of Oz."

* * *

 **OKAY. I'M STILL HERE. Wow, wasn't ready for college. Alrighty, this isn't entirely complete, but I'm throwing it together as I go. And I've felt super bad about leaving y'all without an update. So, here a quick few clarifications. 1) There will be plenty of crossover from lots of games. Feel free to suggest. 2) Next Chapter is getting to the story we all know. 3) I will probably be just as bad at updating this stuff until Christmas Break. Sorry. Alrighty, guess that's it. Thanks for reading!**

 **Cheers,**

 **Arebus**


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